Ask an Oregon university official, and you will hear that things are looking up for Oregon public university graduates.
A survey conducted by the Oregon University System (OUS) last spring found that grads are finding jobs more easily and are more satisfied with their education, compared with previous graduates.
The study, which comprises all seven of Oregon’s public universities, aims to assess how University graduates “evaluate their educational experience one year after receiving their bachelor’s degrees.”
The Class of 2005 survey showed that 93 percent of graduates are working and/or continuing their education. Also, 70 percent of 2005 grads who are working reported employment at a job that is “very or somewhat closely related to their degree/career goals.” Forty-two percent of these employees reported a “very close” relationship between their degree major and occupation.
“This is self-report,” said Career Center Director Deb Chereck, “so it doesn’t necessarily mean that someone majoring in political science is doing something in government or something in politics. It is true by the student’s own assessment of how they’re doing and what they learned about themselves.”
Finding jobs faster
The Class of 2005 reported higher employment levels than the Class of 2003, surveyed two years ago. The State Board of Higher Education and the State of Oregon use a performance indicator called “Graduate Success.” That statistic measures the “percentage of graduates who are employed, continuing their studies, or engaged in another activity of their choice, such as volunteering or caring for a family.”
The Class of 2005 reported 97.3 percent of grads as having Graduate Success, compared with 93.9 percent of the Class of 2003, and 96 percent of the Class of 2001.
The report partially attributes the high graduate success to the state of the economy, which has improved significantly since the Class of 2003 graduated. Additionally, the unemployment rate of OUS graduates has been consistently lower than the state unemployment rate during the last three survey periods.
“Right now the economy is showing signs of being resilient,” said Chereck. “The actual numbers of people in my generation who are retiring and the number of students who are coming out looking for jobs; it bodes really well for University students.”
Evan Burns, a 2006 University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication graduate, is currently working as a reporter and photographer at local television station KMTR’s Coos Bay branch.
“I was actually impressed to get the job so quickly out of college,” Burns said. “I graduated in June and got the job at the end of August.”
Although the Class of 2005 reported having the greatest satisfaction with their education of any graduating class in the last decade, Burns expressed only partial satisfaction.
“I’m satisfied because it got me a job, and I think I learned quite a bit about mass communication and the world in general,” he said. “The J-School focuses way too much on communication theory, but I don’t think it focuses enough on the practical elements of journalism.”
Burns emphasized the importance of practical field experience.
“You spend only about a year, maybe a little bit more of your entire college experience actually doing all of the important stuff you’re going to do in your actual job,” he said.
Chereck heavily stressed the value of internships, and 42 percent of the Class of 2005 participated in some sort of internship, according to the OUS survey.
“Internships are incredibly valuable and maybe even essential,” she said. “Sometimes internships teach you about what you really want to do and sometimes it does the opposite, but when it does the opposite it saves you a ton of time. You learn a ton about yourself.”
Hilary Gerdes, Director of the Office of Academic Advising, also recommends practical field experience.
“I think internship experiences, research experiences, and work experiences are all really important in helping students build the confidence that they might need later on,” said Gerdes.
A high price to pay
Despite high graduate success, student debt is worse than ever. The survey reports that “Two-thirds of graduates took on debt to finance their degree. Among those borrowing money, 96 percent report taking on student loans.” The average student graduates from an Oregon university with $23,053 in debt.
Burns attended the University for three years and accumulated less than $20,000 debt. He said that his debt was “pretty small” since he didn’t attend for the typical four years.
Although the survey data seem optimistic for future Oregon public university grads, it all comes down to student initiative.
“I think just being really proactive goes a long way towards helping you get a job,” said Burns. “Most college environments aren’t going to be able to provide you with that; you’ve got to reach out and grab that yourself. As soon as you know what you want to do with your major, start getting involved from day one.”
“Anybody can get a bachelor’s degree,” he said. “They’re looking for what experience you’ve got.”
A perceived lack of support
The OUS survey addressed student support services at Oregon universities, and showed that only 47 percent of 2005 graduates reported being “extremely” or “somewhat satisfied” with academic support services at their respective university.
Chereck questioned the validity of this statistic, suggesting that most students may not fully utilize the support services.
“For me that’s a statistic that’s really hard to understand without asking some follow-up questions,” said Chereck. “We’re an office that’s willing to make changes to the demands of the student body, but we just don’t know because I’m not getting enough specific information.”
Some Oregon universities have been forced to cut these services due to lack of state support, according to a report in The Oregonian, which could partially account for student dissatisfaction.
Chereck said that lack of funding was probably the cause but emphasized the need for more detailed feedback.
“I’m sure that every campus in the system wishes they had more resources. We certainly haven’t increased our budgets over the last four years,” she said.
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